Toggle switch



J. WACHTER TOGGLE SWITCH June 7, 1932.

Filed Aug. 8,1930 2. Sheets-Sheet l auvw io'c JOSEPH WACHTZE June 7, 1932.

J. WACHTER TOGGLE SWITCH Filed Aug. 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/ r/vass W Iii Patented June 7, 1932 STATES Per a rare JOSEPH WACH'IER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T HANSON-VAN WINKLE- MUNNING COMPANY, OF MATAWAN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY TOGGLE SWITCH Application filed August a, 1930. Serial No. 473,876.

This invention relates to toggle switches in general but contemplates more especially toggle switches suitable for controlling heavy amperage currents such, for example, as those employed in electroplating.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of parts in an electric switch of the toggle type so that while the switch is provided with ample current-carrying capacity for high amperage currents, the several parts of said switch may be made to make and break the circuit with a sharplydefined snap action by means of a comparatively small movement of the contacts between open and closed positions.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement of parts and an improved construction therefor whereby he toggle cont-act fingers or levers may be freely movable in a pressure-equalizing connection or rocker and yieldably locked in open or closed position. A further object of my invention resides in a peculiar construcion of the equalizing connection or rocker and its arrangement between the contact levers and a reciprocatory rod for sliding the movable contacts under yieldabl-e pressure across the spaced fixed contacts at the endof the circuit-closing movement and at the beginning of the circuit-breaking movement.

Another object of my invention is to provioe an improved toggle-switch construction in which all of the movable parts are directly mounted upon a single rod or plunger by means of which the switch is operated.

Certain other and more minor objects of my invention will be understood from the specification and the specific features recited in some or" the claims.

sure-equalizing switch arms taken on the line 33 of Figure 4, with the rod shown in cross-section,

Figure 4 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale of the switch shown inwFigure 1 the parts being shown in changed positions parts being broken away, and parts shown in elevation.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the contact levers detached. I

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the pressure-equalizing rocker or bearing block detached.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a wire 1 which may be taken as a connection leading from the negative work rod of an electroplating bath, is attached by a binding post or screw 2 to a lower buss-bar 3 which is mounted upon the rear face of a switchboard 4 constructed of non-conducting material. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, a substantially triangular plate 5 which may be one of any desired number of plates of similar construction, is secured to the switch board 4 by means of a bolt 6. The plate 5 carries a contact pad 7. Projecting rearwardly from the plate 5 are two lower resistance supporting rods 8 provided with spacing sleeves 9, 9. for locating the lower ends of suitable resistance coils 10. The upper ends of said resistance coils 10 are connected to upper rods 11 which project rearwardly from an upper buss-bar 12 and also provided with spacing sleeves 9, 9, for locating the upper ends of said resistance coils 10. A bolt or screw 13 which screws into the upper bussbar 12, may serve as a binding post for a wire 14 leading to the negative main line of the circuit.

Mounted on the front face of the switchboard 4 is a cam guide-plate 15 which is provided with a tubular socket or guide 16 which extends through the switchboard, said cam plate being secured to the switchboard by means of a screw 17. The cam-plate 15 is provided with laterally spaced guide flanges 18. A reciprocatory rod 19 is mounted in the tubular socket 16, and at its rear enc is provided with a reduced portion 20 upon proximately 90.

which a segmental bearing block or pressureequalizing rocker 21 is movably mountec. As shown best in Figure 7, the bearing block or rocker 21 is provided with a central aperture 22 which, at its rear end, is provided with diametral recesses 23, a lock pin 24 ,which is carried by the reduced portion 20 of the rod 19, being arranged therein to prevent a relative angular movement of the bearing block or rocker 21 on the rod 19. The bearing block or rocker 21 is provided with cylindrical hear ing recesses 25 which extend transversely across its flat chordal face and at the inner edges of said bearing recesses, with oppositely arranged guide lugs 26. A pair of contact levers 27 are arranged on opposite sides of the rod 19, said contact fingers being provided with elongated cylindrical bearing lugs 28, by means of which they are oscillatably mounted in the bearing recesses 25 in the pressure-equalizing bearing block 21. The contact levers 27 comprise the contact arms 31 and the laterally spaced cam arms 30 form-ed by slots 29 which adapt said cam arms to slidably engage the guide lugs 26. Movable axially on the rod 19 is a bevelled washer 32 between which and the switchboard 4 is interposed a compression spring 33. The bevelled washer 32 is adapted to bear against the cam arms 30 of the contact levers 27 under the pressure of spring 33. Mounted on the forward end of the rod 19 is a connection collar 34 which is secured in position by a pin 35. Said collar is provided with a tongue or projection 36 which carries a pivot pin 37. A cam lever is pivotally mounted on the collar 34 by means of the pin 37, said cam lever comprising a handle 38 provided with laterally spaced flanges 39 which oscillate on the pin 37, and a cam roller 41 which is journalled on a pin 40, said roller being adapted to exert a camming pressure upon the cam plate 15 as the cam roller travels over the cam plate between the guide flanges 18.

By an inspection of Figures 1 and 4, it will be seen that the switch handle 38 in moving from open circuit position shown in Figure 1 to closed circuit position shown in Figure 4, moves through an angle of ap- In the opposite extremes of this movement, the handle of the switch is yieldably locked by means of the pressure of spring 33. As the handle 38 is moved from its position shown in Figure 1 to its position shown in Figure 4, it will be seen that the contacts 31 are moved into engagement with the contacts (Sand 7 after a comparatively short movement, and as the handle continues its downward movement, said contacts 31 slidably engage the contact surfaces of the contacts 3 and 7, until they come into a position of rest, as shown in Figure 4, where they are yieldably locked by reason of the axis of cam roller 41 having passed to a biased-position with respect to the pivot 37 about which.

it swings under the pressure of spring 33. As the switch handle 38 is moved upwardly from its position shown in Figure 4, the contacts 31 will again slide over the contact surfaces of contacts 3 and 7 prior to their separation from the contacts 3 and 7.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the endwise movement of rod 19 varies the yieldable pressure exerted by spring 33 upon the cam arms 30 through the cam washer 32. At the same time, this yieldable pressure is equalized between the cam levers 27 by means of the rocker 21 with in which said contact levers are oscillatably supported.

Iclaim:

1. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard and a rod reciprocably mounted therein on an axis normal thereto, of a pair of spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of the reciprocatory axis of said rod, contact levers pivotally mounted on said rod, said contact levers comprising contact arms movable-into and out of contact with said spaced contacts respectively, and pressure arms, means interposed between said switchboard and the pressure arms for yieldably holding said contact levers away from said spaced contacts, and means including said yieldable holding means for reciprocating said rod.

2. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard of a reciprocable rod, spaced fixed contacts arranged on opposite sides of said rod, contact levers movably mounted on said rod and comprising outwardly-presented contact arms movable into and out of contact with said spaced contacts respectively and pressure arms presented inwardly adjacent said reciprocating rod, a compression spring interposed between said switchboard and the pressure arms of said contact levers, and means connected to said rod for moving it against the pressure of said compression spring.

3. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of arod normal to and reciprocable in said switchboard, fixed contacts arranged on opposite sides of said rod on one side of said switchboard, a pressure equalizer block connected to said rod. contact levers of the first class pivotally mounted in said pressure equalizer block, said contact levers comprising contact arms presented outwardly toward said fixed contacts respectively and pressure arms presented inwardly toward said rod, means interposed between said switchboard and the power arms of said contact levers for normally holding said rod in an extreme position with said contact arms spaced from said fixed contacts, and means for moving said rod in opposition to the interposed means for moving said contact arms into engagement with said fixed contacts.

l. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard provided on one side with a pair of spaced fixed contactshaving con tact surfaces arranged in a common plane parallel to said switchboard, of a rod reciprocably mounted insaid switchboard on an axis normal thereto and between said fixed contacts, a contact lever supporting block carried by said reciprocatory rod, contact levers pivotally mounted in said block and 29 position to said yieldable pressure means for moving said contact-arms into engagement with and slidably across said contact surfaces.

5. A toggle switchof the characterrecited i in claim 4:, in which a switch operating handle is pivotally mounted 011 said rod on the opposite side of the switchboard from said contact levers and provided with a cam arni longer than the normal distance of its pivotal axis from the switchboard for imparting said endwise displacement to the rod, the contact line of said cam arm being movable into a position slightly beyond a normal "line through said pivotal axis to the switchboard for locking said switch operating hand in by said switchboard, spaced contacts arcircuit-closing position at the end of said rod displacement.

6. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a reciprocable rod -carried ranged on opposite sides of one end of said rod, contact fingers movably connected to that end of said rod, said. contact-fingers being movable by said rod into and out of contact with and slidably across said spaced contacts respectively, yieldable means tending to hold said rod in one of two extreme positions, and a switch-lever connected to the outer end of said rod for moving it to its other extreme position, said switch-lever being fulcrummed upon the outer end of said rod and having a cam-arm alternatively engaging a fixed cam surface on opposite sides of a plane parallel to the axis of said rod and including the axis of its fulcrum.

7. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a rod reciprocably mounted on said switchboard, spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of one end of said rod, contact fingers movably connected to that end of said rod, said movable contact-fingers being movable by said rod into and out of contact with said spaced contacts respectively, yield-- able means tending to hold said rod in one of its extreme positions with the contact fingers spaced from said spaced contacts, and means carried by the outer end of said rod and interengaging between said rodand said switchboard for moving said rod endwise against the pressure of said yieldable means.

8. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a cam plate mounted on said switchboard, a rod reciprocably mounted in said cam-plate, a cam-lever mounted on one end of said'rod and movably engaging said cam-plate, spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of the other end of said rod, contact-levers pivotally connected to said rod, said contact-levers being provided with finger contacts movable into and out of contact with said spaced contacts respectively, and yieldable means tending to hold said rod in one extreme position with the contact fingers spaced from said spaced contacts, said camlever being adapted to move said rod to its other extreme position against the pressure of said yieldable means for moving said finger contacts into engagement with said spaced contacts.

9. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a rod reciprocably mounted on said switchboard, spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of said rod, contact-levers pivotally connected to said rod and comprising contact-fingers provided with cam arms, a cam-washer on said rod and bearing on said cam arms, means exerting a yieldable pressure on said washer, said yieldable pressure means tending to hold said rod in one extreme position and to press said fingers away from said spaced contacts, and a lever connected to the other end of said rod.

10.In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a rod reciproicable through said switchboard, spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of said rod on one side of said switchboard, contact lever pivotally connected to said rod and comprising contact-fingers movable into and out of engagement with said spaced contacts and cam arms presentedtoward said rod, a cam-- washer on said rod and bearing on said cam arms, a spring interposed between said washer and said switchboard, said spring being adapted to hold said fingers away from said spaced contacts, and a lever connected to said rod on the other side of said switchboard.

11. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a rod reciprocably mounted in said switchboard, spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of said rod on the inner surface of said board, contactfingers pivotally connected to the inner end of said reciprocable rod, and provided wit-l cam arms presented toward said rod, a camwasher on said rod and bearing on said cam arms, a spring interposed between said washer and said switchboard, said' spring being adapted to hold said fingers away from said sides of said rod,

spaced contacts, and a cam lever pivoted in the outer end of said rod for moving said rod against the pressure of said spring. I

12. In a toggle switch, the combination of a reciprocably mounted rod, spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of said rod, a pressure-equalizing bearing block mounted on one end of said reciprocable rod, contactfingers pivotally mounted in said pressureequalizing bearing block and movable thereby into and out of contact with said spaced contacts respectively, yield-able means tending to hold said fingers away from said spaced contacts, and a cam lever pivotall; connected to said rod for moving said contact fingers in or out of contact with said spaced contacts.

13. In a toggle switch, the combination of a cam-plate, a rod reciprocably mounted therein, spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of said rod, a pressure-equalizing bearing block mounted on one end or" said recipro cable rod, contact-fingers pivotallymounted in said pressure-equalizing bearing block and movable thereby into and out of contact with said spaced contacts respectively, yieldable means tending to hold said fingers away from said spaced contacts, and a cam lever pivotally connected to said rod and movably engaging said cam-plate.

1a. In a toggle switch, the combination of a cam-plate provided with a tubular guide, a rod reciprocably mounted in said tubular guide, spaced contacts arranged on opposite a pressure-equalizing bearing block mounted on one end of said reciprocable rod, contact-fingers pivotally mounted in said pressure-equalizing bearing block and provided with cam arms, yieldable means bearing against said cam arms and tending to hold said fingers away from said spaced contacts, and a cam lever pivotally connected to said rod and bearing on said cam-plate.

15. In a toggle switch, the combination of a' cam-plate provided with laterally-spaced guide flanges, a rod reciprocably mounted in said cam plate, spaced contacts arranged on opposite sides of said rod, a pressure-equalizing bearing block mounted on one end of said reciprocable rod, contact-fingers pivotally mounted in said pressure-equalizing bearing block, yieldable means tending to hold said fingers away from said spaced contacts, and a cam lever pivotally connected to said rod and bearing on said cam-plate between said laterally-spaced flanges for moving said contact fingers into or out of contact with said spaced contacts.

16. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a cam-plate mounted on said switchboard, a rod reciprocable in said cam-plate and through said switchboard, a pressure-equalizing bearing block carried by said rod, said bearing block being provided with bearing recesses, a pair of oppositely arranged contact fingers provided with rounded bearing lugs mounted in said bearing recesses of the pressureequalizing block, said contact fingers being provided with cam arms, a compression spring interposed between said cam arms and the switchboard, and a hand lever pivotally mounted on said rod and movable engaging said cam-plate.

17. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a cam-plate mounted on said switchboard, a rod reciprocable in said cam-plate, a pressure-equalizing hearing block carried by said rod, cam-levers pivotally mounted in said pressure-equalizing bearing block on opposite sides of said rod, said cam levers comprising contact fingers and cam arms, a cam-washer slidable axially on said rod and movably engaging said cam arms, a compression spring interposed between said washer and the switchboard, and a cam-lever pivotally mounted on the outer end of said reciprocable rod and in movable engagement with said cam plate.

18. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a cam-plate mounted on said switchboard and provided with laterallyspaced guide-lugs, a rod reciprocable in said cam-plate and through said switchboard, a pressure-equalizing bearing block slidable axially on said rod, means for preventing relative angular displacement between said rod and bearing block, said pressure-equalizing bearing block being provided withparallel elongated bearing recesses, a pair of oppositely arranged contact fingers provided with elongated rounded bearing lugs mounted in said bearing recesses of the pressureequalizing block, said contact fingers being provided with cam arms, a cam-washer slidable axially on said rod and movably engaging saidcam arms, a compression spring interposed between said washer and the switchboard, and a cam-lever pivotally mounted on a fixed axis in the outer end of said reciprocable rod, said cam-levermovably engaging said cam-plate.

19. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a tubular socket extending through said switchboard, a rod reciprocable in said tubular socket, a pressureequalizing bearing block connected to said rod, said bearing block being provided with transverse cvlindrical bearing recesses, a pair of oppositely arranged contact fingers provided with cylindrical bearing lugs mounted in said bearing recesses of the pressureequalizing block, said contact fingers being provided with cam arms, a cam-washer on said rod, said cam-washer movably engaging said cam arms, a compression spring interposed between said cam-washer and the switchboard, and means for moving said reci'procable rod against the pressure of said compression spring. 7

20. In a toggle switch, the combination with a switchboard, of a cam-plate mounted on said switchboard and provided with a tubular socket extending through said switchboard, a rod reciprocable in said tubular socket, a pressure-equalizing bearing block slidable on said rod, said bearing block being provided with parallel bearing recesses and with guide lugs adjacent thereto, a pair of oppositely arranged contact fingers provided with rounded bearing lugs mounted in said bearing recesses of the pressure-equalizing b1ock,said contact fingers being provided with slotted cam arms in slidable engagement with said guide lugs, a cam-washer slidably engaging said cam arms, a compression spring interposed between said washer and the switchboard, a cam-lever supporting collar mounted on the outer end of said reciprocable rod, and a cam-lever pivoted in said collar and having camming engagement with said cam-plate.

JOSEPH WAGHTER. 

